Background: Several studies have applied resting-state functional MRI to examine whether functional brain connectivity is altered in migraine with aura patients. These studies had multiple limitations, including small sample sizes, and
reported conflicting results. Here, we performed a large, cross-sectional brain imaging study to reproduce previous
findings.
Methods: We recruited women aged 30–60 years from the nationwide Danish Twin Registry. Resting-state functional
MRI of women with migraine with aura, their co-twins, and unrelated migraine-free twins was performed at a single
centre. We carried out an extensive series of brain connectivity data analyses. Patients were compared to migraine-free
controls and to co-twins.
Results: Comparisons were based on data from 160 patients, 30 co-twins, and 136 controls. Patients were similar to
controls with regard to age, and several lifestyle characteristics. We replicated clear effects of age on resting-state
networks. In contrast, we failed to detect any differences, and to replicate previously reported differences, in functional
connectivity between migraine patients with aura and non-migraine controls or their co-twins in any of the analyses.
Conclusion: Given the large sample size and the unbiased population-based design of our study, we conclude that
women with migraine with aura have normal resting-state brain connectivity outside of migraine attacks.